Federal agents raided a massive Hyundai manufacturing site in southeast Georgia on Thursday, where they apprehended roughly 450 illegal immigrants.
The Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives posted on X, “Today, @ATFAtlanta joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety. #ATF.”
Today, @ATFAtlanta joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety. #ATF pic.twitter.com/su6raLrLu6
— ATF Atlanta (@ATFAtlanta) September 4, 2025
“Hyundai Motor Group began manufacturing EVs a year ago at the $7.6 billion plant, which employs about 1,200 people,” CBS News noted. The company has also partnered with LG Energy Solution to construct an electric battery factory on the site, which is expected to open in 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security said a search warrant was utilized “as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.”
Hyundai is a South Korean company with a significant global presence.
“The economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during U.S. law enforcement operations,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry responded to the raid, adding:
We are actively responding to this incident by dispatching the Consul General of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the Consulate General in Atlanta to the site and instructing the formation of an on-site response team centered around the local embassy. In Seoul, we also conveyed our concerns and regrets today through the U.S. Embassy in Korea and urged them to exercise extreme caution to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of Korean citizens are not infringed upon.
HL-GA Battery Company, a joint venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, announced that it was temporarily halting construction.
The plant’s spokesperson, Bianca Johnson, stated, “This did not impact people getting to work. Production and normal office hours had already begun for the day” when authorities shut down access.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 66,463 illegal immigrants and removed 65,682; nearly 75% of those have had criminal records, Border Patrol News reported. In the same period, ICE has deported 145,419 illegal immigrants from its detention centers, with the highest total deported in June: 27,970.